Three juveniles charged with attempted murder in Cedar Rapids shooting

CEDAR RAPIDS - Three juveniles have been charged with attempted murder in connection with a March 11 shooting.

According to Cedar Rapids public safety spokesman Greg Buelow, officers responded to the area of 16th Street and First Avenue East at 6:50 p.m. that day. There, officers learned the suspects had fled on foot from the Coin Kleen Laundromat, 220 16th St. NE, and there was a 14-year-old boy inside the laundromat who had been shot twice.

He suffered non-life threatening wounds to the lower back and leg, Buelow said.

As a result of their investigation, which included witness statements and the collection of other evidence, police arrested three Cedar Rapids teens: Malachi Free Handley, 16; Glenn Nichols, 15; and Cody M. Adkins, 15. Handley is believed to have been the shooter, Buelow said.

'The other two were aiding and abetting,” he said.

Linn County Attorney Jerry Vander Sanden said Nichols and Adkins will be formally charged in juvenile court for now because they are 15. Handley, who is 16, will be charged in adult court.

All four of the juveniles involved are 'known to one another and at some point may have gone to school together or school activities,” Buelow said. A motive for the shooting has not been disclosed, but Buelow said it does not appear to be gang-related.

All three juveniles are in custody and have been charged with attempted murder, willful injury causing serious injury and intimidation with a dangerous weapon.

Buelow said the police department is unable to say what kind of firearm was used in the shooting or whether the weapon has been recovered.

The March incident continues a recent trend of teens involved with gun-related injuries or death.

On Sept. 27, Ireshia Parks, 13, was fatally shot in the head when she was sitting in a car with five other teenagers. A 13-year-old was charged with involuntary manslaughter in that case. During one weekend in March 2016, Senquez Jackson, 15, died less than 24 hours after being shot by Dennis Warren, 13. The day after Jackson was shot, Kenyauta Vesey-Keith, 16, shot Brandon Johnson, 21, and a 16-year-old during a fight. Johnson died of his injuries.

In September 2015, Robert Humbles, then 14, shot and killed Aaron Richardson, 15.

'It is concerning for anyone to resort to violence to resolve disagreements and disputes,” Cedar Rapids Police Chief Wayne Jerman said Thursday. 'It is extremely troubling that our youth involved in this incident are getting access to and using firearms. We need to continue to emphasize how important the sanctity of life is and how we need to respect each other. Violence is a learned behavior that needs to be unlearned by individuals that engage in these dangerous and illegal practices.”

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